AMD Quietly Debuts Graphics Processors for All-in-One Desktops.

Advanced Micro Devices has quietly started to sell a lineup of AMD Radeon HD 6000A designed specifically for all-in-one (AIO) desktops, such as Apple iMac, which require relatively low power consumption and thermals, but which do not need ultra-cool chips that are installed into mobile computers.

At present AMD offers four products in the Radeon HD 6000A lineup: models 6670A, 6650A and 6550A based on Turks graphics processing unit (GPU) with 480 stream processors, 24 texture units and 8/32 color/z render operating units as well as 6450A powered by Caicos chip with 160 stream processors, 8 texture units, 4/16 color/z ROPs. Based on specs and clock-speeds of the new products, they should offer similar levels of performance as appropriate add-in desktop cards.

The new graphics processors require less power than normal discrete graphics cards for desktops, but still consume more than fully-fledged mobile GPUs and may not support certain power management technologies.

"Depending on the form-factor of the target product, ASICs are defined and qualified differently, thus the use of an A or M at the end of the series number to distinguish an All-in-One (A) or mobile (M) part from that of a desktop part. OEMs immediately know that a part designated as AMD Radeon HD 6000A has been validated and specified for the unique needs of All-in-One designs, including thermals, power requirements, and feature support," said Dave Erskine, a spokesman for AMD.

The fact that AMD decided to introduce a separate lineup of graphics processors for AIO desktops proves that the popularity of such systems is growing and end-users demand higher performance graphics solutions.